Feed-water heater



Feb. 24, 1931. s. 0. A. FIEDLER 1,794,161

FEED WATER HEATER Filed July 1928 q 1 I 1 IT v Se'bascien OccoAlfred. fiedler INVENTOR: By WK 4w Atmrney.

Patented Feb. 24, 1931 Fact SEBASTIEN OTTO ALFRED FIEDLER, F PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO LAUXILIAIRE DES GHEMINS DE FERET DE LINDUSTRIE, OF 'PARIS, FRANCE FEED-WATER HEATER Application filed July 27, 1928, Serial No. 295,725, and in France June 15, 1928.

1 of heated water without any loss of steam.

The invention relates more particularly to feed water heaters comprising a mixing chamber which is supplied with water to be heated and with heating steam under a cer- 15 tain pressure, and a distribution chamber,

these two chambers being connected together by a water oint.

Accordmg to the invention, these two chambers are closed and may contain the heating steam under pressure and the part of the distribution chamber which contains the excess of hotwater is connected with the atmosphere by a second water joint aflt'ording a sufficient difference of level to balance the steam ressure.

When the heating steam is delivered to the feed water heater in a pulsatory manner, the arrangementaccording to the invention will permit, without loss of steam, the mixing 7 chamber to remain constantly emptied of hot water, this condition being indispensable for the obtainmentof the maximum heating and of a constant temperature for the heated water.

Further characteristics of the invention will be specified in the following description, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein Figs. 1 and 2 are diagrammatic views showing by way of example two constructional forms of feed water heaters according to the invention.

As shown in Fig. 1, the feed water heater comprises two main receptacles 1 and 2, receptacle 1 serving as a mixing chamber, and

receptacle 2 as a distribution chamber.

Heating steam is admitted through a conduit 3 and an oil separator 4 into mixing chamber 1; water to be heated is supplied from the cold water tank (for instance the tender of a locomotive), through a piping 7 and a tube 5 by means of a pump 6'. The two chambers are connected together by a bent pipe 8 whose lower end opens into a recess or pocket 19 formed inthe bottom of chamber 1.

Hot water is withdrawn at 9 from chamher 2 by a pump 10 and is delivered'into the part of chamber 2 or may consist of a separate receptacle. by a discharge pipe 18 with the suction piping oi the cold water pump.

It willbe noted that the feed water heater is substantially closed or fluid tight, with the exception of the orifices 18 and 11, through which the loss of steam is negligible. In these conditions, when the plant is in opera-- tion, and as water is heated in chamber 1 by admixture with steam, and collects at the bottom of said chamber and in recess 19, said water will rise in pipe 8 due to the steam pressure and will flow into chamber 2, the pipe 8 forming a water joint between said chambers. The water is withdrawn from the distribution chamber by the hot water pump, and the excess overflows into compartment 12 and thence through the U-tube 15 into tank 16 whence it is returned to the suction piping 7 of the cold water pump.

If the steam pressure in the chamber 1 exceeds the pressure corresponding to the height of the joint 8, the steam also enters chamber 2; a difference of level corresponding to the steam pressure will be set up in U shaped tube 15, the water level therein having now lowered to aav for example. Otherwise stated, the feed water heater may utilize the steam at amaximumpressure corresponding to the sum of the heights of the water joints formed by the resp'ective pipes 8 and 15.

the atmosphere at 17 and which may form r Said tank 16 is connected responding to such pulsations, and, by reason The heating steam can thus be employed at a higher pressure than if the tube 15 were notused, so that the temperature of the water can be raised to a corresponding degree, and without any loss of steam to the atmosphere.

Such an arrangement is particularly ad vantageous when the steam employed is admitted into the heater in a pulsatory manner, which is the case for example for the exhaust steam fronr the cylinders of the main engine or from the steam: cylinders of auxiliary machines, such as the water pump, air compressor or the'like. In this case, at each pulsation of steam, the hot water which has collectedin chamber I ill be forced into chamber 2 through pipe 8; a certain amount ofsteam also passes into chamber 2, thus forcing'the water from compartment 12 into tube 15' as far as the level aa for instance. Chamber 1 is thus constantly emptied of water, or nearly so, and hence the whole of the inertia ot'this water, the heating steam may have a pressure slightly above the theoretical pressure corresponding to the maximum difference of level in the tube 15, without danger 01" loss otsteam.

Furthermore, even if the water joint in the tube 15 should he accidentally blown off, whereby steam would escape therethrough, said steam will be discharged into the atmos 'phere at 17 without causing any prejudicial efl'ect upon the cold water pump suction pip- Obviously, the construction ofthe heater may differ from that illustrated in Fig. 1, and

for instance it may comprise only a single body or unit (Fig, 2) in this case, the water joint between the mixing chamber 21 and the distribution chamber 22 will consist of two partitions 23 and 24. The operation and the advantages are exactly the same as in the preceding case.

It is further obvious thatthe said teed water heater is susceptible of numerous modifications without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1'. A feed water heater comprising a sub,-

'chamberyhot water discharge means in said storage compartment, an overflow compartment. in said distributing chamber, adapted to receive the overflow 'from said storage compartment, and means for discharging water from said overflow compartment and pre venting the escape of steam, comprising a hydraulic joint adapted to balance the maximum pressure of the steam in said distributing chamber.

2. A feed water heater according to claim 1,,wherein said latter discharging means comprise a U shaped tube whose height is suliicient for balancing the maximum pressure of the steam in said distributing chamber.

3. A feed water heater comprising a sub stantially closed mixing chamber adapted to be supplied with heating steam, means for supplying said mixing chamber with feet water to be heated, a-substantially closed distributing chamber, a hydraulic oint between said chambers, the weight of the water column forming said joint being adapted to be overcome by the pressure of the. heating steam whereby water and steam are caused to flow from said mixing chamber into said distributing chamber, said mixing chamber containing substantially no water, a storage compartment in said distributing chamber adapted to. receive the water from. said mixing chamber, hot water discharge means in said storagecompartment, an overflow compartment in said distributing chamber adapted to receive the overflow from said storage compartment, an overflow receptacle open to the atmosphere and a U shaped tube, one branch of said tube opening into said overflow compartment and the other branch opening into.

said overflow receptacle, the height of said U-shaped tube and receptacle being sufficient for balancing the maximum pressure ofthe steam in said distributingchamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SEBASTlEN OTTO ALFRED FEEDLER. 

